Josh Hamilton

I want to find a genie in a bottle who bucks convention and doesn’t mind it when you wish for more wishes. The odds of that happening are about the same odds as Josh Hamilton getting what he wants: From someone who knows these things: Josh Hamilton’s asking price is 7 years and $175M. #Rangers…

As of 12:01 a.m. ET this morning, MLB free agency was officially open for business. Free agents are now free to negotiate and sign with any team. Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton headline this year’s crop, which isn’t nearly as impressive as ones we have seen in the past. Still, many believe that we could…

Under the new collective bargaining agreement Type A and Type B free agent designations have been ditched in favor of teams needing to make a “qualifying offer” to free agents in order to receive compensation for their departure. Qualifying offers are basically one-year deals for the average salary of the top 125 highest-paid players, which…

As expected the Rangers made a qualifying offer to free agent Josh Hamilton, ensuring they’ll receive a first-round draft pick as compensation if he signs elsewhere as a free agent. They did not, however, make a qualifying offer to Mike Napoli, so the free agent catcher can walk without the Rangers getting anything in return.…

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked Doug Melvin about rumors that the Brewers will make a strong run at Josh Hamilton via free agency and the general manager more or less shot them down. “We’ve got the connection with [hitting coach] Johnny Narron but we don’t have the connection with U.S. Bank,” Melvin…

Earlier this fall I counted down the top 111 free agents of this offseason. Since then, several players have had their options picked up or contracts extended, taking them out of play. With the free agent signing period beginning tonight, it’s a good time to update that list and count them down once again. Up first,…

Yesterday I said I’d be utterly shocked if David Ortiz wasn’t back with the Red Sox in 2013. I still will be, but Ken Rosenthal reports that there is at least some competition for Big Papi’s services: The Boston Red Sox are not alone in their pursuit of designated hitter David Ortiz. The Texas Rangers also have expressed serious interest…

Saying that the NFL is more popular than baseball is both (a) true; and (b) old hat. It has become such an obvious thing that I didn’t even blink when I heard Frank DeFord say it for the ten millionth time just this morning, and most of what Frank DeFord says drives me kinda bonkers. But how…

The season is over and the hot stove is upon us. It used to be we had to wait a while until players filed for and then signed in free agency. It doesn’t work that way anymore. Guys whose contracts have expired immediately become free agents after the season ends (i.e. last night) and signings…

If Derek Jeter‘s broken ankle didn’t take him out of the mix for the World Baseball Classic the moment it happened, today’s news that he needs surgery definitely makes the issue moot. But as unfortunate as Jeter’s injury is for the Yankees, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for Team USA in next spring’s World…

Nolan Ryan spoke with ESPN Dallas about Josh Hamilton‘s late season struggles. Ryan beat back the notion that Josh Hamilton somehow quit on the team — which should go without saying, but whatever — and noted that to the extent he had issues late, it was because he was simply in an unfamiliar situation and…

This afternoon the Rangers held their season-ending press conference with reporters and among the interesting tidbits passed along by T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com is that they won’t make Josh Hamilton an offer before he hits the open market. Obviously it’s unlikely that Hamilton would have passed up free agency anyway and Nolan Ryan did not…

If last night was Josh Hamilton‘s final game in a Rangers’ uniform, it ended pretty ugly. After Hamilton dropped a fly ball during the final game of the regular season against the Athletics, he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a double-play ground ball last night. He saw a total of eight pitches. Fans directed…

I maintain that the Rangers are baseball’s most talented team. That they’re done after one wild card game falls mostly on the shoulders of Josh Hamilton and the shortcomings of manager Ron Washington. Hamilton’s struggles are well chronicled. In the Rangers’ final nine games — seven of which proved to be losses — he went…

The Orioles have pulled ahead again in Arlington. Adam Jones delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead over the Rangers. J.J. Hardy led off the sixth by dumping a single into shallow right field before Chris Davis singled to right to move him to…

Most didn’t give Joe Saunders much of a chance against the Rangers in this game, especially after seeing how Ron Washington stacked his lineup with right-handed batters, but he has allowed one run through four innings to preserve a 1-1 tie. It hasn’t been easy, though. Saunders walked Ian Kinsler to begin the game. Elvis…

The Orioles have jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in their do-or-die Wild Card matchup against the Rangers in Arlington. Nate McLouth led off the game by smacking a hard-hit ball to Michael Young at first base, who was unable to get a handle on it. McLouth then stole second base before he was…

Here are my picks for the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards for each league. Obviously, these are all for fun. I’m not a BBWAA member and do not have ballots for any of these awards. Feel free to flame away. AL MVP 1. Mike Trout 2. Miguel Cabrera 3. Robinson Cano 4.…

While the Rangers downplayed the idea that anything happened between manager Ron Washington and center fielder Josh Hamilton in the dugout during Wednesday’s season finale, GM Jon Daniels admitted that his former MVP is struggling some at the moment. Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com has the quotes: “It’s easy to pick out one guy, but it’s…

UPDATE: Sure enough, the Orioles just announced that they’re going with Saunders over Johnson against the Rangers. Showalter indicated that Johnson’s knee injury played a factor in the decision. ========= Yu Darvish will start the Wild Card playoff game for the Rangers, but the Orioles remain undecided on who they’ll have on the mound. Or…

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera entered tonight’s season finale against the Royals ranking first in the American League in batting average, homers and runs batted in. And that’s right where he’ll finish. Cabrera went 0-for-2 with a strikeout on Wednesday night in Kansas City, but he walked off the field to a standing ovation from the Kauffman…

Evan Longoria hit solo homers his first three times up against the Orioles before grounding out in his fourth and final at-bat in the Rays’ 4-1 victory Wednesday. Longoria entered with 14 homers in 73 games this season. He took Chris Tillman deep in the first and fourth innings tonight and then delivered again versus…

The A’s finished off their incredible comeback in style Wednesday, overcoming a 5-1 deficit to pound the Rangers 12-5 and win the AL West. Today marks the first time all year the A’s have been alone in first place in the AL West. They were as many as 13 games behind Texas on June 30.…

We’ve played 161 games and still not everything is decided. What’s left? American League The Yankees hold a one-game lead over the Orioles. A New York win or an Orioles loss gives the division to the Yankees. If the Bombers lose and the O’s win, we have a one-game playoff tomorrow, in Baltimore, to see who…